Barely Breathing
by dyo
Summary: A songfic. Most of the time, actions speak louder than words.


Barely Breathing  
  
Sanosuke and Megumi Fic  
  
Disclaimers apply. Characters are from Rurouni Kenshin owned by Nobuhiro Watsuke, Shonen Jump,  
  
Sony, bla bla. I don't own them, don't sue. This is for entertainment purposes only.  
  
Song 'Barely Breathing' by Duncan Sheik. Don't own the song, though I wanna own the singer… hehehe.  
  
Joke.  
  
There's a part here in an episode where Aoshi first appeared… well, it's abit revised but I hope the concept  
  
of that certain episode was still intact here. ^_^ Should I say this as a spoiler?? Oh, well…  
  
  
  
flashbacks  
  
/thoughts/  
  
Slight cursing. You know Sano…  
  
***  
  
Dusk has long since past, and the deep evening air was almost cruel enough with its bitter sting  
  
on Sanosuke's bare skin. As he walked sedately, past the closing restaurants and dark quiet stalls that  
  
were once lively with eager customers and boisterous sellers, he recollects the previous afternoon. As well  
  
as his life, with her suddenly intruding since she came barging in the gambling house, her eyes vulnerable  
  
with her life in the brink of danger.  
  
And how the attraction came, on the very first time he held her gaze at him, and even during the  
  
times when he was so angry with her when he found out that she was the cause of his friend's death. He  
  
did believe it was always there, behind the pity and the anger and his stubbornness.  
  
  
  
I know what you're doing, I see it all to clear  
  
I only taste the saline when I kiss away your tears  
  
You really had me going, wishing on a star  
  
But the black holes that surround me are heavier by far  
  
  
  
"I knew you'd come here."  
  
Megumi hastily spun around and saw Sano coming out from behind the trees by the road.   
  
"Wh-what are you doing here??"  
  
"I followed you when you came to meet Kanryuu in the woods. You shouldn't have left."Megumi turned her head away, avoiding Sano's piercing gaze, "I can't stay there any longer. All  
  
of you will be in danger if I didn't leave. Please understand, Sano." Megumi proceeded on walking  
  
towards the gate, brushing her shoulder to Sano's as she passed him by.  
  
"I know you don't want this, Megumi." She stopped in her tracks, but Sano continued on with his  
  
back on her, "Coming back to those bastards won't do you any good. And it won't bring back the lives of  
  
the people who'd used the drugs they forced you to make. Not even my friend." Megumi's heart was torn  
  
with his words, but she was surprised with his next words, making her turn around, "But you can still do  
  
something other than this. Good things."  
  
She looked at him with question in her eyes, though Sano couldn't see, he answered anyway,  
  
"Use your skills to help other people, like what you did for Yahiko. You can be a good doctor if you wanted  
  
to. As of those bastards, we'll be here to help you." Then he looked at her sideways with gentle eyes, "We  
  
are, after all, you're family from now on, ne?"   
  
Megumi didn't know what to say. She was overwhelmed with feeling, the feeling of having hope  
  
in her life after all.  
  
"Hai." She whispered brokenly.  
  
  
  
I believed in your confusion, you were so completely torn  
  
Well it must have been that yesterday was the day that I  
  
was born  
  
There's not much to examine, there's nothing left to hide  
  
You really can't be serious if you have to ask me why  
  
I say good-bye...  
  
Megumi fixed the medicine bottles lay cluttered on the table, and checked some rooms that were  
  
occupied by patients staying for the night. At last, finding rest after a strenuous day in the clinic, she bid  
  
goodbye to Gensai-sensei and left, and came upon the almost deserted streets of the town.   
  
Although she was confident of herself managing her own safety as she walked down the unsafe  
  
streets by herself, she still longed for the shielding presence of a certain man who would never miss a night  
  
to accompany her to her house, despite her cold persistence that she can take care of herself. Though she  
  
would admit in the recesses of her heart that Sanosuke's uncharacteristically gentlemanly actions touch her  
  
dearly, it confuses her still.  
  
But tonight, he didn't come. And her confusion deepened all the more.  
  
'Cause I am barely breathing   
  
And I can't find the air  
  
I don't know who I'm kidding  
  
Imagining you care  
  
And I could stand here waiting  
  
A fool for another day  
  
But I don't suppose it's worth the price, worth the price  
  
The price that I would pay  
  
  
  
They were having lunch in the Akabeko, and Sano and Megumi were still in their unending  
  
arguments.   
  
"Don't you ever think first before you act, Sano? No wonder you always get into trouble."   
  
Megumi sternly stated.  
  
"At least I always get around it, don't I?" Sano snapped back.   
  
"Guys, please stop. We're already eating." Kaoru scolded, but to no avail, she was ignored by  
  
the two.  
  
"Or maybe that's just your uncivilized way of staying out of trouble, by being a trouble yourself."   
  
Megumi bit out.  
  
"Give me a break, fox! You could have gotten into trouble yourself if I didn't get in the mess in  
  
time. Besides, that guy's already pissing me off anyway." Sano waved his chopsticks in hand dismissively,  
  
trying to drop the subject.  
  
"Maa, maa. Can you both quit it already, de gozaru?" Kenshin sheepishly asked, but was  
  
ignored as well.  
  
"Why of course. You just go knocking out anyone without preamble just because they'd simply  
  
irritated you. How urbane." Megumi stated sarcastically.  
  
"Well, I'm sorry if I'm out of your sophisticated league, fox. But that's just who I am so get used to  
  
it!"   
  
"How can I get used to it when I always find you in the clinic because you always get your hand  
  
battered just because of all those senseless street fights you always get into???" Megumi's voice  
  
heightened with so much exasperation.  
  
"And do you think those guys that I beat around were just bystanders? Like the one I caught in  
  
time last week when he cornered you in an alley with a knife at hand, or the group of bastards who tried to  
  
rob the clinic with you all alone in there? It was a good thing I was passing by at that time or else…" Sano  
  
kept silent instead as he fumed in his seat, his appetite already vanishing.  
  
Megumi fumed as well, but wouldn't budge, "I still think violence isn't the answer."  
  
"Yeah, right. And sweet talking those damned crooks would make them go away." Sano  
  
sneered.  
  
"Now look here-"  
  
"You just don't-"  
  
"Will you two grow up? You two are just the same, you just can't admit to yourselves that you  
  
care for each other. Can we eat now?" Yahiko rubbed his ear with annoyance and started digging into his  
  
food.  
  
The rest of the group stared at Yahiko with awe, especially the two who was just previously  
  
arguing and suddenly grew silent with the young boy's assertion.   
  
Megumi felt her cheeks' slight blush, but her embarrassment vanished when Sano suddenly  
  
stood up from his seat.  
  
"I already lost my appetite. See you guys around." He turned and left, leaving the others unable  
  
to act or speak with Sano's peculiar behavior.   
  
  
  
Everyone keeps asking, what's it all about?  
  
I used to be so certain and I can't figure out  
  
What is this attraction? I only feel the pain  
  
There's nothing left to reason and only you to blame   
  
Will it ever change?  
  
  
  
"What did I say?" Yahiko asked innocently at the remaining adults around the table.  
  
"Don't worry about him. He's just being stubborn again." Kaoru said, trying to assure the whole  
  
group, especially Megumi who grew silent in her seat.  
  
"He's just a sensitive guy, Megumi-dono. He'll come around in time." Kenshin assured as well.  
  
"Sou da ne." Megumi gave a small smile, but she still feel doubtful and hurt with Sano leaving.  
  
  
  
'Cause I am barely breathing  
  
And I can't find the air  
  
I don't know who I'm kidding  
  
Imagining you care  
  
And I could stand here waiting  
  
A fool for another day  
  
But I don't suppose it's worth the price, worth the price  
  
The price that I would pay  
  
But I'm thinking it over anyway  
  
I'm thinking it over anyway....   
  
Why? He would ask himself over and over again. He had no idea why he would be so attracted  
  
with such a woman. They were always at each other's throat, and yet he can't release the longing of  
  
wanting to see her, to talk to her, to listen to her voice, even if it means hearing her affluent tone scathing  
  
with barbed words.   
  
/Is it worth it?/ He thought to himself. /Wasting my time on someone who insults me in and out,  
  
and not knowing if she even have an inkling of concern towards me? Give it up, Sano. You're no match  
  
for her ideal guy. What am I thinking! This is all just a bunch of shit./ he pushed his hair back furiously, but  
  
tried to calm his nerves, wanting to be discreet with his presence.  
  
I've come to find  
  
I may never know  
  
Your changing mind  
  
Is it friend or foe?  
  
I rise above  
  
Or sink below  
  
With every time  
  
You come and go  
  
Please don't come and go  
  
/I can't believe I'm dwelling in these thoughts. Why should I care for the chicken head if he always  
  
bites back on me whenever we meet… right?/ she would try to convince herself time and again, but she  
  
would always end up uncertain.   
  
/I'm a responsible woman and an aspiring doctor. I shouldn't be this distracted over things that  
  
are… are… of no concern to me./ the last part was even more uncertain.   
  
/Oh, dear. This is all so confusing. When will this ever end?/  
  
'Cause I am barely breathing  
  
And I can't find the air  
  
I don't know who I'm kidding  
  
Imagining you care  
  
And I could stand here waiting  
  
A fool for another day  
  
But I don't suppose it's worth the price, worth the price  
  
The price that I would pay  
  
But I'm thinking it over anyway  
  
I'm thinking it over anyway...  
  
Megumi absently turned a corner to her street, already knowing her way around town.   
  
Suddenly, she sensed someone watching from behind as an uncanny feeling crept up her back. She  
  
walked even faster, but tried to be as nonchalant as possible though her heart was racing with anxiety,  
  
surprisingly not fear. Her mind was in tumult, unconsciously wishing for Sano to be at her side, feeling safe  
  
than worrying sick with her unknown stalker.  
  
As she reached for her door and hastily opened it and went into her house, she dashed for the  
  
window by the door and peaked at the crack, chancing to see if her stalker was still outside.   
  
Her heart lurched to her throat, her nervousness melting down into a warm frenzy, making herself  
  
smile softly as she gazed at the man standing like a sentinel outside her door, checking down on either  
  
sides of the street that may bring harm to the resident of the house in front of him.   
  
/Oh, Sano. How can you be so sweet and stupid all at the same time?/  
  
/Well, the coast is clear./ he told himself as he watched Megumi enter the house rather hurriedly,  
  
knowing that his presence was detected.  
  
Satisfied that everything was fine, he stretched his muscled arms above his head and emitted a  
  
yawn.  
  
/She's already safe inside, that's for sure. Now I can sleep./  
  
He turned to his heels and continued walking with his hands in his pockets, not worried with his  
  
unguarded presence anymore, as he whistled a tuneless tune on his lips along the way.  
  
Deep inside, he was laughing at himself for following her home, wanting to make sure she's safe.   
  
It was silly, thinking of himself as a lovesick person in a tantrum because of what had happened that  
  
afternoon.   
  
Come to think of it, it just felt right.  
  
I know what you're doing, I see it all too clear   
  
***  
  
OWARI 


End file.
